Capitalization and Punctuation

[Aldren]

Capitalization and punctuation go a very long way in a game where our only friend is text. I find it extremely distracting and difficult to hold steady RP with people who cannot do either. I understand for those of us who are not native English speakers and new players, but I have no patience for people who have been here for the better part of a decade.

Let's all do one another a favor and spend the extra 3 seconds.

[Kaaurk]

i dont know what your talking about




I'm just kidding I agree completely

[Harroghty]

It can be hard to swallow the desire to provide an impromptu English lesson, but just be patient! Not everyone can write to the same standard and our stream of consciousness, SMS-based lifestyle doesn't help.

The best (and least didactic) teachers are books! I always learn something when I read a book, be it a new word or a turn of phrase.

[Ungtar]

It can be hard to swallow the desire to provide an impromptu English lesson, but just be patient! Not everyone can write to the same standard and our stream of consciousness, SMS-based lifestyle doesn't help.

The best (and least didactic) teachers are books! I always learn something when I read a book, be it a new word or a turn of phrase.

You also have people with various handicaps playing the game. They may be slower at some things or type differently due to personal constraints.

My personal "handicap" is that my shift-key doesn't always work.

[Lylena]

It can be hard to swallow the desire to provide an impromptu English lesson, but just be patient! Not everyone can write to the same standard and our stream of consciousness, SMS-based lifestyle doesn't help.

The best (and least didactic) teachers are books! I always learn something when I read a book, be it a new word or a turn of phrase.

Absolutely. I learned better language through books, and then when I'd found MUDs, I learned words before they were teaching them in school so my reading had improved. I don't doubt the more people play, the more versed they become in the language.

True, also, is that we have people with English as a second language that play, and play well.

You also have people with various handicaps playing the game. They may be slower at some things or type differently due to personal constraints.

I have played at MUDs where the blind use translators and play that way.

[Ungtar]

I have played at MUDs where the blind use translators and play that way.

You can include this one in the list.

[dolifer]

I have played at MUDs where the blind use translators and play that way.

This definitely affects how a person might play, but for me, it's only a matter of being slightly slower than everyone else. I'm completely blind and use a screen reader. The problem is that the screen reader can't read what you're typing and what other people are doing at the same time like your eyes can (I think... lol), which is why I sometimes miss something that's said, etc. As far as correct English usage, though, it doesn't affect it.

Personally, I haven't met any PCs whose writing style makes it difficult to understand what their character is doing/saying, unless the speech is intentionally paculiar to the character, which is usually obvious. I tend to let little mistakes like missed capitalization or punctuation or mispellings (ha-ha...) go, even though the writer in me is screaming on the inside... I think the most important thing is that others understand what you're trying to say, not that you say it perfectly.

[Tortus]

It can be hard to swallow the desire to provide an impromptu English lesson, but just be patient! Not everyone can write to the same standard and our stream of consciousness, SMS-based lifestyle doesn't help.

The best (and least didactic) teachers are books! I always learn something when I read a book, be it a new word or a turn of phrase.

You also have people with various handicaps playing the game. They may be slower at some things or type differently due to personal constraints.

My personal "handicap" is that my shift-key doesn't always work.

I call shenanigans! Use your backup, virtually all keyboards have 'em.

[Ungtar]

I call shenanigans! Use your backup, virtually all keyboards have 'em.

Ha! It's on the right hand side, which is an abomination. Seriously, do you ever press that while typing?

But you can rest assured that we've changed laptops since then so my occasional lack of punctuation will only be bothering my editor and not my fellow players.

[Siria]

Absolutely. I learned better language through books, and then when I'd found MUDs, I learned words before they were teaching them in school so my reading had improved. I don't doubt the more people play, the more versed they become in the language.

True, also, is that we have people with English as a second language that play, and play well.

I'm one of those English as second language players, though others should say whether or not I play well

Anyway, I just wanted to put in my problems as a non-native speaker.
Especially when I started playing FK I was just SO slow. I barely had time to read and understand everything. To answer was almost impossible when more than one or two other players were around (which is one of the main reasons why Siria didn't really say much in her early years). Sometimes I also had the impression that some players got impatient if it took me too long to answer.
The only way that would have made me speed up would have been if I stopped caring about grammar and stuff. I didn't want that. I wanted to write good English. Good enough to surprise people when they hear it's actually not my first language. And yes I do have problems with expecting too much of myself^^.
These days I'm getting lazy though. I stopped thinking too much about words and everything. So I'm faster now, but sometimes I use weird words or spelling is not correct, because I didn't take the time to look up a word that I don't use very often and should have looked up. My English also tends to get worse when I'm tired.
I try my best though. I still want to use good English, but at some point my brain simply shuts down. In the past that would have meant I go to bed. Today it means I care less about correct English, but if the rp is still fun I'll stay until I can't keep my eyes open any longer.

Now about the learning thing:
Yes, books are wonderful to improve your language skills. You get a feel for words, phrases, spelling. I really recommend books.
I also have to say that FK helped me a lot. I learned completely new words (mostly armor and weapons) that we never learned in school. And guess what? During my legal English classes at university some of those came up! And while most students looked at the text and tried to find out what it was all about, I actually knew!

Enough of this though, I'm supposed to work right now. Just a few more things:
1. If you are not a native speaker: don't give up. Keep following the conversations, try to be a part of them! Don't be too afraid to make a mistake! Your English will improve soon enough.
2. Read as much as you can. Try to read difficult stuff, too.
3. Try to use good English.
4. Be patient with your fellow players. If someone takes longer to answer he might simply need more time to work out a correct sentence. Don't make players flee the mud by first making them rush into quick answers and then criticizing their language skills.

[Briek]

A sad truth, some of the worst use of the language I have seen is right here in England!

[Ungtar]

A sad truth, some of the worst use of the language I have seen is right here in England!

Heh. When I visited England in the 90's, I found most everyone there to be unintelligible to my Texas ears.

Most of the time I see typos and such in people's dialogue and I'm surprised when they correct it. When you're just reading along, your mind corrects the typo or spelling without conscious thought and you're only aware of it if they correct it out loud.

These things just don't bother me at all.